Guinness names Otto World’s Oldest Dog

Posted on October 26, 2009 under Amazing Pet News, Pet Health & Safety

This week, Guinness World Records confirmed that the oldest living dog is a 20-year-old dachshund and terrier cross, living in Shrewsbury, England.

Otto, the vigorous hound, gained the title after the reigning record holder Chanel – also a dachshund – passed away in August, three months after turning 21, the Associated Press reports.

Lynn and Peter Jones, who have owned Otto since he was 6 weeks old, say that the secret to longevity is simple: a good diet, plenty of love and a bedtime at 8 p.m. sharp.

"He’s still going strong," Peter Jones told the news source. "In the last couple of years he’s got a bit of arthritis, but apart from that he’s quite well."

Though he might not be up for a walk each day, Mrs. Jones notes, "he’s still sprightly." A spirited walk may be considered an accomplishment for a dog that is nearly 147 in human years.

Guinness reports that the oldest dog on record was an Australian cattle dog that lived for 29 years and 5 months. According to the U.S. Humane Society, 12.8 years is the average life span of the average American or European dog.